Lab Grown Diamonds vs. Synthetics

Lab Grown Diamonds (such as CVD Diamonds) are vastly different to synthetics like cubic zirconia or moissanite. Unlike synthetics, CVD diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds, the only difference being the point of origin. It is important to understand the difference and call out the misinformation the mined diamond industry has helped propagate out of fear that lab grown diamonds are about to become the new industry standard.

What Makes a Diamond a Diamond?

The Federal Trade Commission tackled this question in July of 2018. They job of the FTC is to create rules and guidelines so there is no fraud, deception, or misguidance in the jewelry in industry. Although they had not amended their guidelines in over twenty years, they began the process in 2012 in response to the industry shakeup caused by the invention of lab grown diamonds.

After a unanimous vote,the FTC ruled that a diamond is a diamond no matter if it is grown or mined. Their goal was to accurately represent Lab grown diamonds for what they are, real genuine diamonds. Before this vote, lab grown diamonds were labeled as “synthetic” which put them in the same category as the fake diamond imitations. The new guidelines state it’s misleading to use the term “synthetic” when describing lab grown diamonds as they contain the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as mined diamonds. The word “synthetic was used by many to imply lab grown diamonds were not real diamonds and were in fact simulated knockoffs like cubic zirconia or moissanite.

From now on people will finally be able to get the education and information they need about lab grown diamonds. They are not synthetic, they are not imitations, they are diamonds. Pure and simple.